Florida’s influence

Re the Nov. 27 letter, “Voters ignored”: Citizens concerned about their vote, but with little understanding of American history or our government, make me want to pull my hair out.

Our founders were fearful of a “tyranny of the majority” that a pure democracy can produce. We are, therefore, by design, a federal republic. The states elect the president, not the people. For several years in our early republic, some states didn’t have a popular vote for president. State legislatures chose their electors.

Progress in education, communication, transportation, etc. have changed our republic, and some would like to see an end to the Electoral College. That requires a constitutional amendment. For self-protection, less populous states would thwart the ratification by three-fourths of the states. We could push Florida to change its winner-take-all rule and award electors proportionally or by legislative district, but why would Florida dilute its elective power? What influence would Florida have on presidential policy without that power?